Suspect charged in "cold-blooded assassination" of Harris County Deputy

MYFOXHOUSTON - The person responsible for what Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman describes as a "cold-blooded assassination" has been charged with capital murder for the death of Deputy Darren Goforth.

30-year-old Shannon Miles was led out in handcuffs from the Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Division where he was questioned for about 12 hours.

He was first taken into custody at his mother's home in Northwest Harris County where neighbors tell us he comes and goes.

Investigators located the red truck the killer was driving through "routine research." That truck led them to the alleged killer.

He does have a criminal history in Harris County, a series of misdemeanors between 2005 and 2009.

Minor offenses like trespassing and evading arrest, nothing that seemed to suggest he was capable of this level of violence.

The most serious incident took place in 2007, discharging a firearm in a public place, for which he served 15 days in prison.

His mother, like many others in the neighborhood and law enforcement just devastated, for both her family and that of the fallen deputy.

Friends and neighbors consoled her as she talked about possibly ending her own life.

"She said she was going to the house now to take her own life because she never thought her son would do this to a cop," says neighbor Sharon Price. "She's so sad for everybody."

Deputy Goforth was a familiar face, neighbors often saw him on patrol in the area.

There's still no known motive, other than he was targeted because he was in uniform.

There was no prior contact between Deputy Goforth and his accused killer before Friday night.